Already struggling to cope with the damage done by flooding that started in late March, Kazakhstan is contending with a new bout of inundations that are forcing tens of thousands of Kazakh citizens from their homes in western areas of the country.
The new flooding is centered on the Ural River, which burst its banks on April 21. Approximately 13,000 dwellings inundated in suburban “dacha” districts of Oral, known as Uralsk in Russian, the capital of the West Kazakhstan Region. The water is still rising in the area, forcing the evacuation of at least 14,000 individuals. Roughly 600 people have received medical treatment relating to the flooding with no initial reports of any deaths. Elsewhere, the northern Pavlodar Region was also bracing for more high water.
Overall, at least 120,000 people have been displaced by flooding in recent weeks, described by authorities as the worst in 80 years. The flooding prompted officials to declare a state of emergency in 10 of the country’s 17 regions. Outside of West Kazakhstan, conditions have stabilized in some hard-hit areas, including North Kazakhstan and Atyrau. In other areas, flood waters have receded, and clean-up operations have begun.
At an April 16 meeting with citizens displaced by high waters in the Kostanay Region, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev vowed to implement a massive public works program to provide housing to those now living in flood zones.
“I see it as my priority to provide maximum assistance to you affected by the floods,” a presidential press office statement quoted Tokayev as telling flood victims. “Funds will be allocated to those who have lost their housing or need repairs. Whoever wants to move into apartments, we will buy and provide apartments. For those who want to stay in place, but under no circumstances should they stay in dangerous places, we will build standard houses for those people.”
Officials have not put a price tag yet on the cost of following through on the presidential pledge. During a cabinet session on April 23, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov authorized a plan to provide financial compensation to over 11,000 families. The one-time payments of roughly $850 each are designed to help flood victims replace basic appliances and clothing lost in the natural disaster.
Bektenov echoed the presidential administration’s reassuring messages, urging citizens and small business owners to remain steady in the face of adversity. “No one will be left without help. All issues are under the president’s personal control and my control,” he said.
Authorities are also contemplating disaster-prevention initiatives. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has announced plans to build 20 reservoirs in 11 flood-prone areas to reduce the threat of future flooding to residential areas, as well as ensure water supply during the irrigation season.
There is a sense of irony attached to the current flooding: Kazakhstan has wrestled with drought in southern and western regions over the past several years, and weather forecasters are predicting drought conditions will begin in some regions in May. Some of the same areas hit by flooding, such as Kostanay, Pavlodar and West Kazakhstan, are going to experience “very humid” conditions, said Alina Ismagulova, a spokesperson for Kazakhstan’s meteorological service.
